Darren Ambrose has been backed to recover from a “stop-start” beginning to his Birmingham City career.

Ambrose was heralded as a major signing when Lee Clark took him from Crystal Palace in the summer.

And Blues’ only cash outlay in the transfer window was on the midfielder, for an initial £250,000.

But after scoring a beauty in Blues opening match, the 5-1 Capital One Cup defeat of Barnet, and notching three assists in five games, Ambrose has been dogged by injury niggles and has been unable to shift others due to their form.

He has not been involved in Blues’ last three squads because of illness and then a knee problem, Lee Clark revealed.

“He is very frustrated, the poor fella,” said Clark. “We haven’t seen the best of him. But I have not lost belief in him.

“He has proven over many, many seasons in this division how good he is.

“He was what I classed as a marquee signing for us.

“He has just obviously got to get back in the training routine after this illness and niggle.

“But it has been a bit stop-start for Darren, all told.”

Ambrose’s cause was not helped when he was pitched straight back into the fray as a 25th minute substitute in the Barnsley debacle.

He had trained for barely two days following a three-week absence due to injury, his performance suffered – and left him mortified.

He said it was the worst display of his career and admitted it was not good enough, regardless.

In all, Ambrose has only made three starts for Blues in the Championship. The last was in August.

But he should be available and most likely among the substitutes again for Saturday’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“Darren has joined back in training, so he could be available,” said Clark.

“He had an illness, but when he recovered from that he tweaked the medial ligament in his knee in training and missed about four or five days.

“So we welcome him back, which is a bit of a boost for us.”

Meanwhile, Colin Doyle, so often the scourge of Wolves, missed Blues development squad match on Tuesday due to a back spasm.

“And then David Lucas was ill about ten minutes before kick-off,” adds Clark. “He played, what, half-an-hour? He didn’t feel great, so we just got him off the pitch.”